At some point in the coming weeks, Shane Doan will make his decision on whether or not he will leave the Phoenix Coyotes and end his 16-year career with the franchise in order to chase a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, or one of the other teams that is interested in his services.
When that happens, the teams who don't get Doan will want to turn somewhere else. The question is where?
Unlike other hotly pursued free agents and trade targets from this summer - Zach Parise, Rick Nash, Roberto Luongo - there are multiple options for teams that hope to add veteran presence to their lineups and locker rooms, and there are even a couple who can bring similar levels of production to what Doan delivered last year in Phoenix (22 goals, 28 assists).
Perhaps the most sought-after player after Doan is Jason Arnott, most recently of the St. Louis Blues. The 37-year-old Arnott scored 17 goals and added 17 assists last year for the Blues while earning $2.5 million. The Canucks have expressed interest in Arnott, and while he's a center (as opposed to a winger like Doan), the effect of adding him to the lineup is similar. Arnott will likely be the next player snatched up after Doan, and depending on a team's forward needs, he could even go sooner, perhaps to a team like the Rangers, who sent away a pair of centers in their deal to acquire Rick Nash.
Petr Sykora of the Devils is also a possibility. The 35-year-old winger made a successful return to the NHL last year with New Jersey, scoring 21 goals and adding 23 assists while making just $650,000. He's probably due for a raise after that kind of season, but he should still be much more affordable than Doan or even Arnott. When healthy, the Czech sniper is good for at least 20 goals in a season, and he has a pair of Stanley Cups on his résumé. A return to New Jersey -which has re-signed every major free agent except Parise - is certainly possible, but Sykora could probably be enticed to greener pastures.
Kristian Huselius is more injury prone than Sykora - he's played just 41 games in the last two seasons - and he doesn't have the playoff experience of an Arnott or a Sykora, but a team in need of scoring could take a flyer on the Swede. He'll probably have to take a pay cut from his $4.75 million per year contract, but as the other options dry up, he'll attract more attention.
After Arnott and Sykora, the offense dries up significantly, but veterans like Brian Rolston and Tomas Holmstrom should get a look, and teams interested in Doan's grit could find the energy of Dominic Moore attractive.
For the time being, however, Doan is the man of the moment.